Articles with dog health advocacy

Muscle Wasting in Dogs: What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog? Allie’s Story

What would you do if your dog started losing muscle mass without an obvious reason? Allie was as sweet as a Maltese can be. A beautiful, loving little girl. On the surface, Allie seemed perfectly fine. Her appetite was good, she wasn’t losing weight. While her weight remained stable, Allie kept wasting before her mom’s eyes. Allie was losing muscle…

by Jana Rade

Dog Symptoms: Recognition, Acknowledgement, And Denial

A symptom n. an abnormality caused by a disease that is observable in a sick animal. Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-veterinarian The above definition points out two important things. A symptom is an abnormality, and it can be observed. Note: Technically–as it was pointed out to me by my book editor–the more accurate term is signs,…

by Jana Rade

Canine Hind End Paralysis: R.G.’s Hind End Lameness and Paralysis. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Paralysis is the partial or full loss of body movement. Symptoms of canine hind end paralysis can vary in severity. Mild neurological deficit leads to weakness and knuckling. Full paralysis results in a dog dragging their rear legs. Associated problems include pain, potty accidents, inability to urinate or constipation. R.G. was a happy, active girl, until one day she suddenly…

by Jana Rade

Collapse in Dogs: Rufus’ Collapse. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Watching your dog suddenly collapse is one of the scariest things to experience. What can cause a collapse in dogs? The causes behind your dog’s sudden collapse include anything from an electric shock, poisoning, to endocrine disease and everything in between. Your dog might collapse if any of the following fails to function: nervous system musculoskeletal system respiratory system blood…

by Jana Rade

Sores and Lameness in a Dog: Is there a Connection between Star’s Mysterious Lameness and Skin Issues?

Star’s mom went to search for answers when Star came down with some mysterious problems. It all started with Star having pain in her legs and difficulty getting around. The initial suspect was hip dysplasia but that was ruled out. Then Star’s face broke out with nasty, painful sores. In spite of all attempts for diagnosis, all results came back…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care into my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

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